Blood and Tears
by SlytherinQueen
Summary: The war is over, and now Zuko and the gang are back out on a new adventure looking for Zuko's mother. Along the way they meet someone that will bring them all a litte bit closer to one another. It will also bring more pain and death. ZukoXOC
1. Chapter 1

Blood and Tears

Chapter 1: The Journey Begins

My head hurt, a lot. The throbbing pulsed in the rhythm of my beating heart and made me sick to my stomach. I sat up, and a new wave of pain washed over me. I opened my eyes and let them adjust to the dim light in the small room watching as only a few tiny rays of light filtered in here and there through the wood. In the corner I spotted movement and I made a move to grab my sword. It wasn't there. It along with my blood spattered clothes were gone, replaced with a thin white linen robe.

"Oh good, you're up," A low male voice said from the corner. The figure rose and I noticed my sword in his hands. He took a few steps into a beam of light and allowed me to look at his face. He was middle aged with only a few wrinkles and forest green eyes that matched his robe. His light brown hair was cut very short out of his tan face. His skin was tan, like that of mine. He came closer and held out a hand to me to help me up. I only gazed at him.

"We have a lot to talk about young warrior," He said, his hand still outstretched. I took it and he helped me up, the pain getting worse as I moved about. We walked out of the shack and to a near by tree overlooking the bustling city of Ba Sing Se. He helped me sit and I rested heavily on the thick trunk of the tree.

"My name is Lee Ten and I fought in Lord Ozai's army. No need to introduce yourself, I know who you are I even fought on your side the last half of the war. The reason you are here, is that you are still in danger, even though the war has been won."

"How long have I been out?" I asked my voice hoarse and weak. I still hurt everywhere. As Lee began to talk I closed my eyes listening intently but blocking out as much of the pain as I could by shutting out the light.

"Only two days, you only missed the crowning of Fire Lord Zuko and his speech along with his speech with the Avatar."

"Zuko…" I said opening my eyes and gazing at Lee. He was telling the truth about Zuko. Zuko….

"That's not the important thing that matters. What matters now is your life; Azula has spies looking for you everywhere. She's bent on revenge, but I'm afraid only you two know the reason why. She is in prison along with her father, but it's not going to keep her from lashing out. She won't rest in her cell until she knows that you have paid the price," Lee explained as calmly and as seriously as he could. I nodded understanding completely what I had at hand. Then Lee gave me the most curious look.

"What happened out there? I remember fighting with an old friend, and then….everything goes black….."

"My wife Ursa and I were helping out with the war efforts, her helping the wounded while I was fighting in the war. But that all changed the night when she saw you amongst the fighting, she had to go help you. There was nothing I could do to stop it. She took a fatal blow for you and it cost her life. She knew that you had to help make the world a better place, that you had a lot more you still hadn't done. You were in a comma in the tiny intensive care center, and Ursa was slowly dying when she wrote three letters. She told me about you, and that you were like her daughter and that she knew you would safely deliver her other two letters," Lee explained, tears prickling at the corner of his eyes. I took the letters he handed me and held them in my hand trying hard to keep my emotions hidden.

"I'm sorry to hear that Ursa is dead, she really was like a mother to me. I wish there was more I could to repay your kindness and that of Ursa's."

"All I ask is that you deliver this letters, for Ursa, my wife. Please Raine, for your mother."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It had been two days, 48 hours since the war had ended, and within those two days I had begun the search for my mother. My problem, I did not know where to start. Luckily, my friends were coming with me, because I had learned, that I was nothing without them.

"Zuko….can I have a word real fast?" Sokka asked me as we where packing up Aang's flying bison Appa. I nodded and we stepped aside to let Katara and Aang finish up the loading.

"Sure Sokka, what's up?"

"While we are looking for your mother, can we search for my sister too? My other sister I mean; my twin? She was taken from us when mom died in the Fire Nation attack, and I heard that she had been fighting in the war. I'm hoping I can find her," Sokka told me. I nodded and clapped him on the shoulder and told him I'd help him look for her, and that we could start looking for her first. He thanked me and we joined the others. I went to talk to Aang and let him know what was going on.

"There's another one? I would have never guessed," Aang mused. From the other side of the courtyard there was a yell. I turned to see Sokka and Katara yelling at each other.

"Sokka, we both know Raine is dead, so give it up!"

"She's not dead, I know she's alive, my twin sister is alive I can feel it!"

"Oh, here we go again with the whole 'twin crap'! I just wish you would learn to accept the fact that she died! Why is she more important than mom?"

"Because mom never really understood me, but Raine, she knew what I was feeling almost before I felt it. She taught me things mom couldn't teach me! Katara, she's our sister, our flesh and blood, and I can't leave her to die!" Sokka said storming off. I looked at the sky and the setting sun. We had left way later than I had wanted too. I gave my hand to Katara as she walked over and helped her on. As we left we didn't talk and I fell asleep leaning against my pack.

_I was hiding with Azula in dad's chamber behind a huge banner watching as a young darker skinned girl came in accompanied by six guards. As she walked she kept her head held high and she walked very calmly, as if she was going on a stroll. Her clothes were blue like that of the Water Tribe people. _

_"This is going to be good," Azula said. I watched curiously as the girl walked by us turning and winking a deep blue eye at me as if to say "_Don't worry about me, I'll be okay, I promise."

_"What is all of this? Why is this girl here, with six of you escorting her in?!" Father yelled. One of the guards cleared his throat and spoke up. _

_"This is the one sire, the one who wrecked our ship and four others," the guard said trying to stay calm. Father stared at the scene unfolding before him in pure disbelief. He looked at the girl and leaned forward, thinking hard. _

_"How old are you child?"_

_"I'm eight sir," She replied still very calm. Father let out a small laugh. He stared at her, unable to take his eyes off of her. He instructed the general to tell him what had happened. Once the general finished he bit his lip, again thinking. _

_"Where did you learn to fight girl?"_

_"My father taught me the basics; I learned the rest on my own. I even practice three times a day," She told him simply as if she was talking about a pet. I watched as Father's gaze drifted over to our hiding spot, and I held my breath. We were in trouble now. _

_"Too young to go fight in the war, and she's a young woman, we can't send them to fight...but this one has promise she does…………you'll be a personal slave to family until you turn the age of twenty and then you will fight in the war. How would you like that, kids?" Father said. I came out of hiding my head bowed and let Azula do all the talking. She was the one that got me into this anyway. _

_"Yes sir, we both would like that very much."_

_"Good, then it is set." _

I woke up with a start right as Appa landed in a safe place to rest for the night. The stars shone above me and I sighed heavily. I rubbed my face into my hands thinking about my recollection of the past.

"I should have known."


	2. Chapter 2

Blood and Tear

Chapter 2: Finding what Matters

I took the letters he gave me and tucked them into the front of my new robe and then went to a near by stream to clean up a bit and heal my wounds. I checked to make sure that no one was around and stripped getting fully into the deep cool water. As I sat in the slow, barely even moving reflection I caught sight of my reflection and I stared at it as if I hadn't seen my own face in three years. My face was shaped like that of my twin, and I had the same blue eyes, but there was a harshness in mine that only a war could bring. But, there was kindness lurking in the back. Close to my ear on the left side of my face was a small straight scar that I had gotten in a duel at 15. Now it was hardly visible, usually hidden by my hair. My deep chestnut hair rippled down my back in lose curls like my mom and sister had. I stopped staring and got to work dipping my hands in the water and bringing it about my slightly burnt hands. Then I went to my arms and then to the burns on my back. The only scar that wouldn't go way was a small burn on my right shoulder blade that was shaped oddly enough like a flower. I had had that burn for ten years, ever since I had come to the fire nation. It was my welcoming gift.

I got out of the water and dressed quickly and went into the city of Ba Sing Se, but not before talking to Lee.

"Thank you so much for everything, and again, I'm sorry for your loss. Ursa was really an amazing woman, and she was very lucky to have you," I said bowing to him as a way of showing my respect. He returned the gesture and gave me my sword back. Then I hit the city to go find some answers. Once I had reached a good stopping point, I rested under a tree and opened my letter from Ursa.

_My precious Raine,_

Just seeing her handwriting brought that prickle of tears to my eyes, but I read on.

_I had always felt like you really were my daughter and all the love that I had for you I had for my son as well. But when I heard that you were out in that war after all, my motherly instincts cried out and I knew I had to go find you and save you. I knew inside you were a big girl and that you could handle this all on your own and that you had been for sometime now, but I had to protect my child, my baby girl. I know what I did could be said to be stupid, but I knew it had to be done. Now I know that things will be right again. I love you Raine, always remember that. _

_Love your mother. _

~ * ~ _ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~_

We had gotten to the innermost cities closets to the palace but so far there was no site of Raine. The good news was we had a few leads to follow. As we looked for Raine I found my self getting as sucked in as Sokka was. Raine was the key to finding my mother, and I would do anything to find her. We stopped to get a small bite to eat and Katara reassured me that we would find them both.

"They're out there somewhere and we'll find them, don't worry," I nodded and sipped my tea thoughtfully. The tea was weak and it made me wish that Uncle were here. Just thinking of home made me feel a little home sick. No, I'm the Fire Lord, I don't get home sick. I watched as Sokka was eating his lunch with some soldiers near by, asking them some questions. I turned back to Katara.

"Why are you so opposed to Raine?" I asked as Aang got up to go check on Sokka, he could get a little carried away. Katara placed her cup back down on the table and sighed.

"Raine and Sokka were joined at the hip, you couldn't get them apart. Raine taught Sokka almost everything he knows, how to plan how to fight, how to fish: she was a fast learner. And that made mom and dad very happy and it made me fall back in the shadows of my older sister. I refused to learn how to water bend from her, because she was the best, one of the only ones in our tribe. I didn't want to have her see me fail. I loved my sister, but I hated falling in her footsteps," She said sadly. Aang and Sokka came back and both were looking more chipper than they were a few moments ago. They didn't say anything as they slipped in their seat, so we just sat there and waited for one of them to burst and let it all out. Sokka cracked first.

"She's alive! Katara, Raine's alive!! She fought in the war; she was the head of the HUGE revolt in Ba Sing Se with the Earth bender prisoners fighting on the Fire Nation side. She was on the inside fighting against them! God, sis is cool!" Sokka exclaimed almost hopping up and down in his seat. I turned to Aang, knowing I wasn't going to get anymore information out of Sokka. As Aang talked I slipped into a day dream.

_It was very late at night and as I walked by my Uncle's room I heard voices and saw light from under the door. I had woken up to get a drink and was coming back when I paused at the door. I crept close and listened carefully. _

_"Are you afraid, because if you are it's totally justified, war is a scary thing."_

_"No, I know what I'm doing, and I know I'll be fine. I just wonder what dad's going to say when he sees me… I know he's out there, and I'm afraid of running into him out there on the battle field. I'm afraid if he was given the chance he's kill me, because I'm a traitor."_

_"Don't you ever say that again Raine! You are not a traitor; you are a prisoner here, and although most of us have treated you like family, you still have to face your real family. They probably miss you something awful," Uncle told the servant girl Raine. During her ten years here at the palace, Uncle had become like a father to her, and a lot of people here considered her family. Often timed they would stay up late and talk. _

_"So? Sometimes I think death is a better option than some of those things…" There was a pause and then Uncle said something very quietly. I had to lean in to hear what he had said._

_"Do you very death?"_

_"No, it's a part of the life cycle and it's naturally unchangeable so why worry. I just don't want to die here…a prisoner. I would rather die a warrior's death out on the battle field."_

_"Why?" I found my self asking. Almost as if she heard me Raine said…_

_"A true warrior dies where he is happiest, out fighting for what is right."_

"Zuko?" Sokka said puling me from my thoughts. I shook my head to clear it a little. Aang cleared his throat and repeated himself.

"Raine is in Ba Sing Se."

"And….?"

"Are we going or not, you are kind of calling the shots?"

"Well then, pack your bags, we're going to Ba Sings Se." 


	3. Chapter 3

Blood and Tears

Chapter 3: Looking in the Last Place

I had to lay low for a couple of days until all of my old soldiers and friends could get me safely to the Fire Nation. Now wasn't that time. I traveled in my newly acquired upper district Earth Kingdom robes, and wore a long silk cloak with the hood thrown up over my head. To further add to my costume I had a cane and walked with a fake limp. From far away I looked old, and that's what I wanted.

"Please be careful, she has her people out there everywhere. Who knows when she could be watching. I've got some men on the outskirts of the forest and closer to the Fire Nation but that's all that I can do. Let me know when you get out of the Earth Kingdom safely okay?" My right hand man in the war, Ari said as he hugged me tightly. Ari was like a brother to me, and I knew that he would worry if I didn't send word.

"Thank you, Ari, I really am going to miss you," I replied kissing him on the cheek. He handed me a coin pouch filled with a bit of money and a small sack with cheese and bread and a flask of water. After one more hug I waved and walked away heading towards the forest.

_"She's a witch, she can't be trusted! How do you think she got those men into the freezing water? She can't lift them…according to eyewitnesses the men all went overboard on their own... but I know better…I know she gave them a little help…"_ Azula's words came to me as I walked on. I stopped and looked around, thinking for some reason that she was really here reminding me of the bad things I had done. _Like she was one to talk…_

_"You did what?"_

_"Zuko it's not what you think…"_

_"Not what I think? It's not what I think? You controlled men by bending the blood inside of them, am I correct?"_

_"Yes…but please, listen to me!"_

_"If I don't will you make me?" _

I kept walking words from my past flooding me like a dam broken loose. I had to fight and it was the only way I knew how! I just wished that then he would have understood. And Azula didn't make matters better…calling me a witch…

"She's the crazy one…" I said out loud, like it made any difference, who was here to listen to me ramble? Not the birds….I paused. Something didn't feel right. There was no sound what so ever, no other movement, I was completely alone in the forest. It wasn't right. During the war the birds still sang…so why aren't they singing now? I briefly checked my surroundings to see if I was being followed. A single leaf fell from a tree near by. I crouched down and hid behind the nearest tree, my sword drawn and the water flask at my hip ready. Then I waited for a noise: that's when I struck. The spy made the move first, jumping out of the tree towards my hiding spot. Inside i laughed: he had already made one mistake. I rolled over and jumped up to grab a low hanging branch next to me and pulled myself up. Once I was out of his line of fire, I let lose the water and froze it, making small ice crystals sharp as steel and flung them at him. I watched as a few imbedded in his back and his twisted in pain. Then I swung down and kicked him in the stomach knocking him to the ground. Once he was there I took one easy motion and slit his throat. One dead spy is a stupid spy. Azula really knew how to pick them.

"Do you really think that it'll take one spy to kill me? You couldn't kill me, and not even your _father_ could kill me, so what makes you think that _one_ spy, can do the job?" I taunted to the empty air. I knew that if there was another spy there, he was long gone. But still I felt like I had to ask, at very least the trees, this burning question. I adjusted my cloak and holstered my sword and sighed. I gazed at the way I had come and began to walk back to town. Looks like there's a change of plans.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Ba Sing Se looked better in the few days after the war than it ever did, according to Aang. The people were really working hard to make sure their city was whole again, and the animosity that was once there was gone. To make sure we covered all the ground in Ba Sing Se we split up into two groups, Aang and I in one group and Sokka and his sister in the other. Sokka and I both had become completely caught up in finding Raine, but we both had our different reasons. I had to find Raine, so I could find my mother.

We began with the shops on the west side of town, closest to the wall and the forest. We hadn't found anything so far, so we stopped at a midway point to check in with the other two. While we waited for them I couldn't help but overhear an interesting conversation.

"Ari, there's been a change of plans," a young woman in a green silk cloak and fine upper class Earth Kingdom clothes said walking briskly into the café. The young man sitting at a near by table straightened up. He was very tall, even when he was sitting. He had vivid grey-brown eyes and black hair and tan skin. He had very handsome features and was well muscled with a small symbol tattoo on his left bicep. The young woman who sat down next to him looked to be about the same age as Sokka and I.

"What is it?" He asked; worry clouding that perfect looking face of his. The woman glanced about and then let the hood that had covered her face fall. I had to hold in a gasp of shock. Aang gave me a funny look and I motioned for him to be silent.

"One of her spied found me and tried to attack me."

"I'm going to assume it's not the spy that is the problem?"

"Of course not I took are of him, but if there's one, that means there's more. She knew I was leaving, I have no means to get out of the city, and no place to stay for the night," She said looking about once more. There was no mistaking it, that girl was Raine. I ducked my head when she looked my way hoping she didn't see my face.

"I need to lie low for a while."

"Where are you going to do that?" Ari asked Raine. I watched as she bit her lip, a classic trait that Raine had.

"I don't know…the Emperor is still out and about the world 'exploring' but the Head General is a good friend of mine, we fought for those whole two years together. And, he owes me a favor," Raine told her companion. She looked over at us and I leaned forward to tell Aang something. She disregarded us and got up and walked to the door.

"Keep this a secret from Sokka."

"But…"

"Just for today…please?"

"Are you sure about this Raine? I mean are you sure that the forest is no longer safe again?" Ari asked her. She nodded, pulling on her hood a bit.

"I'll send someone to you with my exact location so we can talk further in private," Raine said before pulling the hood over her face. She left and then her friend Ari went into the back. Aang leaned forward, shaking his head.

"We should have stopped her."

"No, she has a lot to deal with right now, you heard what she said. I'll go back to talk to her tonight before we shove anything else in her face."

"How?" Aang replied in slight dismay. I smirked, unable to keep it off my face.

"I'll follow her friend and once he leaves I'll talk to her."

"And I can't tell Sokka or Katara?" He asked unsure. I felt awful about not telling them, especially Sokka since Raine was his twin, but there was something I had to sort out first.

"No, not yet, not yet. We'll bring them to her when she's ready."


	4. Chapter 4

Blood and Tears

Chapter 4: Talking with Raine

When I had approached the General about my position, he was more than happy to oblige and let my have one of the soldier's deserted cabins for the night. Once I was completely settled in I sat down and wrote a letter to Iroh, the man who raised my after Ursa left.

_Dear Iroh, _

_I apologize right of the bat for not contacting you during the war, but your war, and my war are very different and I had no time at all to write letters, let alone think about it. Unfortunately, I still don't have the proper time to sit down and fully explain what I need to. My writing to you is not for a happy occasion; in fact I fear it is far worse. I did as I was asked, I found Ursa. She was living in the Earth Kingdom in Ba Sing Se, and he had remarried a man by the name of Lee Ten. They were living a quite life helping her husband who fought with my men in the war. Sadly, Ursa is no longer with us, seeing as she gave her life so that I could survive. Attached to this letter, is a letter she wrote to you and there's also one for Zuko. I'll try to come home, but Azula is still after me. Hopefully we can stop her, and Aang's work will not be in vain. _

_Love your daughter,_

_Raine _

Satisfied I placed the letter in an envelope along with the other letters and sealed it with a wax stamp. Then I sat back, reflecting on my old life at the palace. It was almost funny how Azula had always tried to torment and humiliate me but she failed every time. We were constantly fighting, like cat and dog, and the cat never won; ever. Often times we would fight till we were battered and bruised and we often walked away with scars. Most of mine healed, save for one. And I wore it proud, while Azula hid hers. Just then a knock interrupted my thoughts. I opened the door with a smile.

"Glad to see you made it Ari."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

I slunk behind Ari in the shadows, following him to Raine. He knocked on the door of a house with a light on and i watched as Rained answered. I hid beneath the open window.

"You wished to speak with me?"

"Yes, I have received some important and very unfortunate news and sadly I cannot not go deliver the news myself as was the plan. Would you deliver this letter to Iroh for me? Just tell him it's from me and he'll understand. If he writes a reply I will send someone to come and collect it"

"Are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow, yes, I will be leaving. I have to go settle some business else where," Raine said. There was silence and then the door opened. I flattened myself under the window as a long shadow fell when the door opened, helping me keep my cover. I waited for a few minutes and then went to the door and knocked.

There was a pause on the other side. Then, slowly the door opened.

"You!" She hissed and began to shut the door. I put my hand firmly against it and pushed it back open.

"Raine, I have to speak with you."

"I'm am no longer a captive and a servant, I don't have to listen you what you say anymore!"

"Have I ever wronged you, in all your time with me? What was my sin in your eyes? If it is my sin that I am related to her then I am sorry but that cannot be helped."

"Your sin was letting me go…"

"Please Raine, it's important. It's about Sokka and Katara…" She frowned and let me in and then closed the door behind her. Then she shut every window and pulled the shades shut as well. The room was small, with only a fireplace, a bed and a table. Raine stood in the middle of it all and sighed.

I cleared my throat and began "I'm really bad at all of this stuff, so forgive me if it comes out kind of blunt. I'm traveling with Sokka and Katara to try and find you and my mother…" She still frowned, but it was not as deep as it was a little earlier. She looked at me as if to say '_go on…_'

"Well, now that the war is over, and my father is locked up for good, I can find my mother. You were close to her, and I now you can help find her…"

"So basically, you're using me again, to get what you want. Well, I don't know where she is so I can't help you," Raine said getting angry. She turned away from me and then turned back; I could tell she was hiding tears.

"You haven't changed one bit, have you?" She whispered in a hurt voice. She pointed at the door and I shook my head. I turned her to face me, and I saw the fire in her eyes as I touched her. If I had to, I'd let her hurt me, just so she would hear me out.

"Raine, I am asking you as a friend, nothing more and nothing less. You are the key to finding one of the most important things to me. Doesn't your twin mean a lot to you? Your sister, your father? Don't they mean anything? I need you, just like they need you, please…" I said. I could tell she still had all of her defenses up, but her face was full of thought. I could see it in those deep blue eyes of hers, those eyes, jut like her siblings. She sighed again.

"Fine, I can do it, but before I take you to her, there's someone you should meet. But you have to promise me two things."

"Anything, I swear."

"Your sister is still after me, and just today one of her spies attacked me in an attempt on my life. I need protection, not much, just a little, until I'm able to do something about it," She told me her face darkening in the flickering firelight. There was hate on her face, but not for me, for Azula.

"I also want to see my siblings again."

"I can arrange that. Tomorrow, meet me at the tea shop, you know the one I speak of. They'll be there, I promise."

"Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

Blood and Tears

Chapter 5: The Truth Hurts

I was early, very early, but I couldn't sleep and at this point there was no use trying. All I could think about was how I was going to tell Zuko that his mother was dead, and that it was all my fault. I also didn't know how to react about seeing my siblings again. I began pacing, back and forth until I saw Zuko. I noticed things I hadn't last night: he had grown up quite a bit since I last saw him two years ago. But then again, everyone changes in two years. I lost my train of thought but the sound of an all too familiar voice snapped me out of it.

"Raine!" Sokka called when he saw me. He burst into a run and tackled me, almost knocking me to the ground. Tears began to fall from both of our eyes as we held other close, twin finally reuniting with twin. I let go first and held him at arms length away so I could get a good look at my twin brother after so many years apart.

"Hold still so I can get a good look at you," I told him and he smiled widely. It was that smile I had always remembered. He looked so much like dad and he was a little bit taller than me. He was very muscled and he had this sort of air about him, the 'man of the house' type. I hugged him again.

"I though you were dead!"

"I was afraid I was never going to see you again!" I tell him trying my hardest to keep tears back now. I give him a quick kiss on the cheek and turn to the young woman standing next to him. My baby sister, all grown up.

"Sis?" she said unsure. I lunged at her, taking her into a huge hug, the damn of tears broken.

"Katara….my baby sister," I replied. She was crying too now. We stood there holding each other for a long time before we finally had to let go. I then turned to the young man next to Zuko, the Avatar.

"You don't know me, but you did help save my life, and I'm guessing, the lives of my siblings. And for that, I thank you," I said hugging him. He blushed a little and smiled. I turned to Zuko.

"Thank you as well, you brought me my siblings, and I could never ask for more."

"You're welcome"

"It's time you met someone."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Raine led me to a secluded place with a large oak tree over looking Ba Sing Se. There was a small shack with in a few feet of the tree and behind that a pleasant looking house sat behind it. Raine walked past the shack, acknowledging it and then went to the house and knocked on the front door. After a bit, an older looking man pulled open the door and greeted us. His face brightened when he saw Raine.

"I thought you had left."

"No, I heard truth calling me. Can we come in? There's a lot we have to talk about," Raine said. The man nodded and led us into the house and to a sitting room where he gave us tea.

"What can I do for you?"

"Lee, this is Zuko, the Fire Lord and….your wife's son."

"_**WHAT?!"**_ Zuko and Lee yelled at the same time. Zuko stood up fast and almost spilled his tea. Lee looked dazed and confused.

"Ursa said she couldn't have kids…."

"My mom remarried?!"

"Lee, I wanted to tell you, but you wouldn't let me. You told me that my life was a more pressing matter. Well, right now matters more. You see, Ursa was married to the Fire Lord Ozai until one night when she left her old life behind her, sick and tired of living with the cruel man she had married. She blocked out her past and started a new life with you," Raine explained to us. The others listened carefully, none of them speaking. I stared in disbelief at my tea, still untouched. Lee couldn't say anything either. Raine sat calmly in her seat, waiting for me to say something.

"Is it alright if I speak with Zuko alone? It won't be very long I promise," I nodded. "Come, let's go for a walk." She told me. I set my tea and followed her outside. It was a beautiful day outside, and the sun was shining, but it didn't make me feel any better. And I had a feeling it was only gonna get worse.

"How are you doing do far?" Raine asked as we walked back toward the huge oak tree and the tiny shack beneath it. I shrugged and shook my head. I have been better. I just wanted to hear what else Raine had to say, and find out if my mother was even still alive.

"Why don't we sit down, I'm afraid I have even more dire news for you," We sat down under the tree and I noticed the view from this spot was absolutely breath taking. Raine took a deep breath in.

"Your mother was an extremely brave woman, we both know that, but your father Ozai drove her to insanity. I know she didn't want to leave you behind, and I hope that deep down, you know this too."

"Where is this going?"

"This is from her, I didn't read it, you can trust me," Rain said handing me a letter. I felt a lump climb up the back of my throat as I saw the handwriting, her handwriting on it with my name.

"Does this mean….?"

"Yes it does, I'm sorry Zuko, your mother is dead. There was nothing anyone could have done to save her," Raine said, her head bowed. Suddenly this rage built in side of me, but I kept it down.

"How…did…how did she….er….die?"

"She gave her life, to save mine: in the final battle in the front of the palace."

"Why did she have to give up her life for yours?" I wanted to say more, but it wouldn't come out. Raine looked hurt when the words left my mouth, but I too, was hurting to do anything about her pain. My mother was dead.

"It wasn't my choice to make!! Ursa choose to die so that I could live! In the letter she wrote me, she told me that she had everything and that she didn't need anything more. This…her death….it hurts me just as much as it hurts you," Raine told me. She was crying a bit now, but she held her head up high as the small tears rolled from her eyes.

"Leave me be," I groaned as the tears fell from my eyes. Raine did as I asked of her, giving me a glare as she left. I opened my mom's letter and began to read.

_My Darling Zuko, _

_You did it, just like I knew you would. I'm so proud of you. Before my time is up I want you to know that I regretted not taking you everyday we were apart. Know that you aren't to blame and that it was never anything you or your Uncle did that caused to me. I never wanted to hurt my baby boy. I love you and you will always be my precious son, don't ever forget that. _

_Lots of Love,_

_Mom_


	6. Chapter 6

Blood and Tears

Chapter 6: Facing the Past

"Tell me everything!! _Please?_" Sokka and Katara begged me as we were all getting ready for bed. Lee had offered for us to spend the night in his house, and since we had no place else to go we accepted appreciatively. I was sitting on my bed reading an old journal that I had kept with me since my capture 12 years ago, when my siblings ran into my room begging me to tell them about my life in the Fire Nation.

"You want to hear everything?" I asked as Katara rested her head on my shoulder. Sokka sat behind me and let me rest my head on his own shoulder, so that we made a small train. I felt Katara nod and I couldn't help but smile. It was so good to have them back.

"Well, I was captured by some of the soldiers, and they kept me with other prisoners in the hold of a boat. But, I was 'a slippery one' and they could never keep me tied up for very long. Most of the trip back to the Fire Nation I ended up fighting every soldier on that ship. Then they took me to Fire Lord Ozai and he was going to put me in the war at the age of eight, but the laws he created stopped him from placing me there. So instead he made me a slave to his children, Zuko and Azula," I began. Katara cut me off.

"Wait a second, _you_ lived with Zuko? Is that why I got his feeling like you both knew each other?"

"Yes, his mom took pity on me, because at that point I was a wreck. My family was ripped from my life and I had just watched my mother die. Ursa helped bring me back to normal until she left. She treated me like I was her own daughter. Then Iroh took over and taught me _so_ much! He's like a father to me now; I spent every possible moment learning what I could from him. He even tried to help me on my water bending, even though he and everyone else in the Palace could fire bend. When I was sixteen Ozai sent me to the war four years early as punishment for something I did. Once he had placed me into the front lines, I created a huge revolt party full of water benders and earth benders, even several of the fire benders. I was fighting with you guys the whole time, way out there on the front lines," I told my siblings. Kat gave me a huge hug and told me she had missed me, and Sokka kissed the top of my head. He didn't need to say anything; I knew, he was glad to have me back. We all were. I had made sure to leave a few things out, but I would tell them a little later, when I was ready to tell them. I knew that they'd understand. Just then Lee came in with a letter in his hand, and I could read the red writing on the front marked _urgent_. I got up and ripped the letter open and scanned it quickly.

"What is it?" Sokka asked. I sighed. I watched as both of my siblings defenses went up at my reaction to the letter Ari had written me.

"Azula has a very small and elite army of spies heading down to the Southern Water Tribe. They're looking for me there, and when they don't find me, they'll burn everything," I said my head hung. _ "Why does she have to make this so much like the war we just got out of? Why must innocent blood be shed because she holds a grudge against me?_" I thought.

"We're going with you then."

"No! No, you should stay here...," I said to them biting my lip. Sokka folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. Katara gave me that look.

"I'm going," Zuko's voice said from behind me. Sokka's face lightened up when he heard this and he nodded trying to get my attention. I stared at Zuko.

"I made a promise didn't I? I'm going with you and that's final," Zuko said. I cleared my throat and pulled him outside onto the balcony to speak with him briefly.

"You made a promise to me four years ago, and you broke that one too. What makes you think that I can trust you to uphold this one?" I asked. Zuko began to say something when I heard Aang's voice.

"I trust him, with my life."

"So do I," Sokka said. I let out another sigh. Aang, Sokka, and Katara were all firm in the fact that Zuko was coming with and so were the rest of them.

"We're all going," Aang concluded. I nodded, knowing I wasn't going to win this one.

"When do we leave?" I asked, slipping into my old habits from the war.

"We leave now, we can all get on Appa and get out of here and be to the Southern Water Tribe by the afternoon tomorrow."

"So be it," I replied with a final nod.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

We were out of Lee's way before late that evening. Appa was making double time to try to get down to the Southern Water Tribe. I couldn't help but stare at Raine the whole ride. My brain felt fuzzy, there were some many things zooming around my head. My mother was dead, Raine was mad at me, or was I mad at Raine…? I knew that I was slightly jealous that Raine got to see my mom in her final hours, and in my mother's new life that I didn't know about. But one part of me was rationalizing with myself: it was unfair to blame Raine, so why was I still doing it?

"Azula…." Raine grumbled in her sleep, pulling me from her thoughts. Sokka let out a chuckle. Aang was driving, with a sleeping Katara on his lap, so it left me and Sokka to talk while Raine slept curled up in the corner, her journal clutched tightly in her hand.

"I forgot that she did that. According to dad, when we were kids, we'd have conversations with each other in our sleep. I stopped talking in my sleep the night Raine was taken."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, there's nothing you can do to change the past," Sokka began. "I just wish…that we had gotten more time wit her. You're so lucky, that you spent most of your life with her. We missed everything, and we'll never get it back." We both fell into silence. I knew what Sokka meant, but I didn't know what to say about it. I noticed Aang had been soundless the whole trip so I went to go talk with him briefly. Katara was still sleeping peacefully, her head resting on Aang. I was careful not to wake her.

"What's wrong?"

"This whole Azula thing, it just frustrates me because it's my job to keep this world safe, and now, only a week or so after the war it's threatened again. All I want is to be able to keep the peace for awhile," He told me. I patted his shoulder and told him that he was a great Avatar and that he shouldn't worry.

"You don't really have a lot to worry about right now."

"Yes I do, that's my sister we're fighting, and she's out for blood this time."


	7. Chapter 7

Blood and Tears

Chapter 7: The Southern Water Tribe

I was more nervous about going back to the Water Tribe than I was to see my siblings. I think my last meeting with Fire Lord Ozai less nerve racking. My last words to dad were words of hate, and then I was taken away, for what felt like forever, and now I had to face him again. What was he going to say?

"You'll be fine."

"But what if he's still mad at me?" I asked, pacing back and forth on Appa. I was making Kat and Zuko nervous. I had slept most the ride, but it was a very uneasy sleep, plagued with my old nightmares. Sokka placed his hands on my shoulders and held me steadfast in my tracks.

"He'll be overjoyed to see you."

"Hadoka is not a person to hold a grudge Raine, you of all people know that," Zuko said trying to help. I couldn't stay calm.

"How do you know? How do you know he's not still blaming me for mom's death? It's my fault she died…if I hadn't run away…," I began. I was a wreck. And I was ashamed that my siblings had to see me like this. War is easy for me…this emotional crap is not. I can keep a straight face and lie to the Fire Lord, but when it comes to seeing my own flesh and blood again: I fall apart.

"Raine," Sokka said pulling me into a hug. "Don't ever, and I mean ever, say that again. Dad loves you, we all love you, and we'll always love you, no matter what."

"But I don't know what to say!! Where's Iroh when you need him?" I pouted. We had reached the village and I was very hesitant to get off of Appa. I wanted to stay there and hide from my past a little longer. But Sokka and Katara made sure that I didn't.

"Kat, don't do this to me, please..?" They ignored me. We entered the village and everyone began clapping for my siblings, Aang and Fire Lord Zuko. No one really even noticed me, or recognized me, and I don't blame them. It had been too long since I had returned to my birthplace. I didn't mind staying unnoticed, in fact I enjoyed it. In the outside world people always came to me, and shake my hand, because I was doing such good things with the rebellion. Back at home they didn't no I was one of them, until we reached the little igloo where Dad and Grandma were standing.

"Gran-gran!" Sokka and Katara shouted running to hug her. I held in a laugh, I never did like that name, Gran-gran…I always just called her grandma, like you should. Suddenly, it got very quite, and I realized all eyes were on me. Grandma was crying, and so was Dad.

"_Raine?! _Can it be? You're _alive?!_" Dad whispered in pure shock. I stood there, unsure of what to do, when he ran at me and picked me up in a bear hug twirling me about. Then he set me down and kissed me on the forehead.

"I can't believe that this woman standing in front of me is my Raine, my little girl…she's all grown up now…and I missed it. But…how did you…?" Dad asked after I had hugged Grandma. I smiled, though I tried not too. I was bearing bad news; this was not a time to celebrate.

"How did I find them you mean?" I asked in reply. Katara jumped in grabbing on to my arm.

"Zuko found her!" Kat said letting go of my arm and pushing Zuko forward. Dad gave Zuko a thankful look and embraced him, causing Zuko to blush. Then he hugged me and Kat again.

"Thank you, I don't think you know just how much this means to me," Dad said. Then he saw that I was not smiling anymore. His face fell as the village got quite.

"What? What is it?"

"There's a reason I am here, and it's not good."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

We sat in the family's hut, all huddled in the family room discussing a plan of action. We had a leg up, given to us by Ari who had information on the attack. We knew they were coming at dawn tomorrow and that they would only do what they could to Raine, physically or emotionally. Hakoda got everything set up, and told us that we all would be going to bed early tonight so that we would have enough rest for the small battle tomorrow. Once everything was set up and we had a basic plan we met with the rest of the village to discuss what would be done.

"The men who fought with me in the war, gladly stand up to battle next to you and your friends Raine," Hakoda told his long lost daughter. Raine nodded and turned back to her twin as they began planning a strategy to our battle. It was interesting to watch her, how she and Sokka sat there, heads together, pouring over a map. There were a lot of head shaking but rarely did we hear them make any sounds of disproval. Raine had the most control over what would happen because a lot of the men that had come back from the war had served under her in her rebellion. Sokka had the planning advantage of this battle, and the rest of us were good fighters lucky to have two amazing members planning out the battle for us. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I watched them work, they made a great pair.

"Sokka was furious the first week we gave up looking for her. He was convinced that we would find her," Katara said coming up from behind me.

"You can tell they're twins, they move as if connected, as if one if finishing what the other started."

"Okay everyone, go get some sleep, you're going to need it. Hopefully this will be over with quickly," Raine said standing up and patting her brother on the shoulder. Everyone went home and we followed suit, most of us yawning and complaining about a lack of sleep.

"I really missed doing these things with you. I so could have used you in the war. Just think if the battles went by that much quicker…" Raine told Sokka as we all bid each other good night. I climbed into my sleeping bag and feel quickly into sleep.

_Raine was sitting under an old apple tree waiting patiently for me. It was midnight and the stars were twinkling brightly above us, making the moon look like it could cover the sky completely. Quietly I sat down next to her. _

_"Took you long enough," She joked stealing a quick kiss from me. I smiled and took her hand, and squeezed it in my own. She returned the smile and leaned on my shoulder, the smell of her hair filling my nostrils. _

_"I over heard you talking with Uncle."_

_"Really, isn't this the millionth time I've heard that?" She replied with another joke. I laughed lightly and kissed her forehead. _

_"This one is different. You're leaving tomorrow for the war, and I can guarantee I won't get to give you a proper goodbye." I told her. Raine didn't say anything. She just bit her lip, like she always does when she's thinking. I too, slipped deep into thought. Life was perfect and now my father was going to ruin it yet again. _

_"What am I going to do with out you?" I asked her. She sat up and gazed at me, not taking her eyes off of mine. I watched as a smile twitched on the edges of her mouth. _

_"Well, hopefully…you won't give up on me." _

"Zuko, it's time…" Raine said waking me. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, not use to the lack of light. I changed and stepped outside into the bitter cold to take my place with Raine at our post.

"There shouldn't be too many of them, maybe twenty at the max. Anything more than that is pushing it. They'll be easy to spot too, Azula doesn't know what it's like before dawn here, her men won't last to long in the cold," Raine whispered, her breath escaping in thin whips of air in front of her. I nodded as I collected my thoughts. My dream last night…I hadn't thought about those days in a really long time…because I had forgotten. Before I really had a chance to think I opened my mouth and it came out.

"Why?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Why did you let her die?" I said again before I could think. Raine let out a sigh, like she did back before our lives were so great with each other. The sigh was that '_are we really going to do this right now?_' sigh of hers came from her lips and I just sat there, getting mad that the woman I once loved. I…_still love?_

"Really? You really want to talk about this right now? Blame each other for their deaths? I thought you had at least grown up enough to accept her death, but then again I always did jump to conclusions when it came to you."

"All I really want is an answer," I replied as we looked out at the bare ice and snow. The soft wind blew and began throwing flakes of snow about. Raine turned to me, the expression on her face stern.

"We all want answers," She said sighing. "You of all people should know that everyone dies and we don't get to control what happens. Your mom was a very brave woman, and she wasn't afraid to die. That's the important thing," Raine told me, in a slight harsh tone. Suddenly she stiffened, her whole body freezing at attention, her eyes locked on the bare emptiness around us. She slowly rounded her shoulders and took her fighting stance. I still couldn't see anything. As I looked about I saw that everyone else had done the same as Raine.

"They're here," she hissed through her clenched teeth. She moved almost leisurely at first, giving the signal and leading a crawling army of white across the snow. I saw the figures in black appear on the horizon and I too took suit, moving with the wind across the frozen waste land. Then with the most grace I had ever seen in my life, Raine popped up still slightly hunched over, and began rushing toward our enemy, almost gliding across the ice with her sword poised at her side, a glittering silver light beside her. I stopped and stared in awe of the beauty that she had as she twisted to make the first strike. Sokka and Katara rushed forward as well, taking their spots next to Raine. What was even more breath taking, was the way the three siblings rose and fell together like a wave as they elegantly fought off the tide of black. Their arms seemed to intertwine and move about almost as if it was a dance. Finally I snapped out of it and jumped into the fight, a single flame in the sea of water. Like Raine had said, the fight was short and there were no survivors. It almost seemed to be bittersweet, to fight and win so fast. It made me wish that there had been an easier way to win my father's war. As we walked back to the town to go warm up, I watched Raine's face. IT said it all; this fight really was bittersweet.


	8. Chapter 8

Blood and Tears

Chapter 7: Just Talking

*POV Changes frequently

The rest of the day we would spend cleaning wounds, and fixing anything broken. I avoided Zuko as much as I could. After lunch Katara confronted me about it.

"Hey sis, can we talk?"

"Of course Kat, come on in," I replied patting the bench next to me. I gazed at my reflection, watching as I brushed through my hair.

"What's going on between you and Zuko?" She asked. I froze mid brush stroke. I looked at her and smiled.

"Nothing."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

After the battle the men went out and cleaned the battle field. And then I went and hid from Raine in the guest room. I was ashamed of how I had treated her and how I had almost thrown her from my life. She was the biggest and best part of my past, and I had nearly gotten rid of that.

"Hey, can I talk with you?" Sokka said poking his head in. I nodded and he sat down on the chair opposite from me. I asked him where Aang was but he explained that he didn't know. All Sokka knew is that Aang was talking with his father.

"I don't mean to pry, and you can tell me to drop it and I will, but is there something going on between you and Raine?"

"No…"

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Katara shook her head at me and took away the hair brush; the one thing keeping me distracted from her. I sucked in my breath.

"Even though you've been gone for all these years, I still know you, and I know you're lying," Katara said. "I'm a big girl now sis, a grown woman, just like you. I tell you what's going on in my life, why can't you tell me?"

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Sokka gave me that look and I sighed, resting my face in my hands. Sokka let out a sigh too.

"Look I know it's intimidating, because she's my twin sister and I know when something is going on in her life. I know that what ever this is, I'm going to hear it later. But I wanted to hear it from you first, because you're a close friend, and I trust you," Sokka told me. I looked up at him and nodded. He was right. He was my friend, and I didn't have the right to hide this from him.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

I reached across my lap and squeezed my baby sister's hand letting out a soft sigh. She sat there waiting and smiling.

"When I lived at the palace as a slave, I grew close to Zuko's mom Ursa and his Uncle Iroh, who raised me after Ursa left. I grew so close to Iroh that I was unofficially added into the family."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Sokka waited for me to go on, a patient look on his face. I took another deep breath before continuing.

"My Uncle adopted Raine into the family, raising her as if she were his own. And even though she was forced by my father to serve my sister and I, she was always there for me, and she was always kind. Always. We became very good friends, spending every possible second together, and every day was spent like that."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Zuko and I were the dynamic duo, joined at the hip. Everything we did together, everything we learned together. We even used each other to better strengthen our own bending, Water and Fire, never one with out the other. Until one day, when it all changed."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"I'll never forget that morning when I noticed the change. Raine had come to wake me up, like every morning, but she seemed so different to me. She was absolutely beautiful, and stunning. This feeling inside of my chest was so new, but so real, I found I cared more about her than ever before." I said. Sokka smiled and replied.

"You fell in love with her." And I nodded.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"It was probably the definition of unconditional love, for I had nothing to give him but myself, and he had everything to give and all I wanted was him. Iroh had often talked to me about Zuko and he knew right away what had happened, and he embraced it. He told us there couldn't have been a more perfect match. But it wasn't easy for us, Azula constantly picked on me, trying hard to make my life hell, but I refused to back down."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Raine was a little stronger about our love than I was, I'll admit that. I had refused to tell my father, but Raine didn't care. 'Why does it matter that Fire fell for Water?' she'd always say. Once father found out he punished Raine by sending her to the war four years earlier than she was suppose to go."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"It didn't matter to me that I was leaving, I knew Fire Lord Ozai's deepest secrets and this prevented him from punishing me in his worst way. But he still found a way to punish me for loving his son. The night before I left for the war Zuko and I made a vow to wait for one another, a promise that we would be reunited. He told me he wouldn't give up hope on me, but already, I could see it on his face, he was afraid I wouldn't make it out of that war alive. Right after it was made, he broke our promise."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"I broke the promise, because part of me was so scared of losing her that I had to make it less painful for me. If I acted like I wasn't going to ever see her again, if I acted like the second she stepped onto that field she died, maybe, just maybe, I could barely live with my loss. I was left alone and vulnerable, and that's how Mai found her way into my life."

"Does Raine know?"

"About Mai, no, about the promise yes. I know that she knew from the beginning I had broken that promise after it was made, and it's one of the biggest things I regret in my life. That and treating her so awfully after we were reunited again…I tried to break her heart, make her hate me, so I wouldn't have to choose," I told Sokka. He was looking down at the floor, his brows furrowed together a look of deep thought poised on his face. I waited for Sokka to say something. He sighed first and then explained to me the only way to go about this; I had to apologize to Raine.

"Raine still blames herself for our mother's death and the best thing for her is to not put Ursa's death on her shoulders as well. You should know, she's a forgiving person and she won't hold a grudge. You both have to get past this and the only way is through an apology," Sokka told me. I nodded and got up to go to her room.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"So let me get this straight, he basically lied to you instead of making a promise?" Katara said. I nodded, not knowing what else to do. Kat shook her head. I smiled weakly back at her.

"Aren't you mad at him?" She asked me. Before I could answer there was a soft knock and Zuko stuck his head in.

"Am I interrupting anything?" He asked. Before I could answer yet again, Katara shook her head and gave up her seat, giving me a quick wink.

"I was just leaving," Katara said to him. We both waited till she left and was out of earshot. Then Zuko cleared his throat.

"Raine, I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. I knew better than to say that, but I did it anyway. It's no excuse for me to let my grief get the better of me and say stupid things. I'm sorry Raine, I really am," He said quietly. I shrugged my shoulders and told him that everything was okay. There was a pause and from outside my room I could hear Sokka and Katara talking about us.

"Apology accepted," I said getting up and walking out of my room. I thought I saw him smile.


	9. Chapter 9

Blood and Tears

Chapter 9: Going Back Home

We spent two uncomfortable days in the water tribe before I just couldn't take it anymore. I knew that Azula was out there and we were just leisurely wasting our time, where we could be going back to the Palace and planning the next move of action. Before I could talk to the others about leaving Sokka sat me down and talked to me.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't you tell me about Suki?" I replied unable to keep the smirk pulling at the corners of my mouth off my face. Sokka's face tugged into a frown.

"Who told you?"

"Dad," was all I said grinning. He rolled his eyes in a 'go figure' kind of way while I continued to grin. He let out a sigh and the oh-so rare smile fell from my face.

"Why were you afraid to tell me about what went on between you and Zuko?" He asked. My turn to sigh. My life with Zuko was a complicated one, and I found it difficult to explain.

"I think that sometimes we get scared to admit what we lost, and how good we had it before we lost it. Zuko and I had a wonderful relationship, but we didn't tend the fire and it died. I've lost so many things in my life, and to admit that I had let yet another thing slip through my fingers was too much for me. I wanted that hope, but it's not worth it anymore."

"How do you know?" Sokka asked me, but I knew that he was asking only because he could, not because he needed the answer. I appeased him anyway.

"He's been trying to push me from his life, isn't that a sign enough?" I told my brother. "None of that really matters; I have to go back to the Fire Nation, back home."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It was mid afternoon, and I was walking about when I heard voices. I paused by the door and listened.

"How do you know?" I heard Sokka say. There was a soft sigh.

"He's been trying to push me from his life, isn't that sign enough?" Raine paused before continuing. "None of that really matters; I have to go back to the Fire Nation, back home." Sokka mumbled something and Raine interjected.

"No Sokka this isn't my home, not anymore. Now all it is to me is my birthplace, but a home is the place you grew up in, and for me, home is the Palace City in the Fire Nation. You see, here I feel like I don't belong, but Dad will always still be my Dad even though Iroh raised me. He's the one that taught me most everything I know, and I have to go home to him, and let him know that I'm okay," Raine said, her voice breaking with the strain of trying not to cry. I took this moment to enter.

"Hey guys, I was wondering where you were."

"Raine and I were just talking about going back to the Fire Nation," Sokka told me. I faked like I didn't know that and said it sounded like a good idea. Katara and Aang joined us all giggly and gushy eyed. Raine, Sokka and I all exchanged looks.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"We're leaving for the Fire Nation," Raine said standing. There was a sigh from behind us.

"I knew you wouldn't stay for very long," Hakoda said walking to his oldest daughter and embracing her. It was hard for her to hold in the tears now as she hugged her father back.

"I looked for you, every day, every second that you were missing, hoping that I'd find you. This time, please write and let me know that you're okay?"

"Of course dad, I'll write every day I promise."

"I love you, don't forget that, I love all of you, even you Aang and you too Zuko. You all are important to me…"

"I love you too dad," Raine said as they pulled away. She wiped her eyes and left to pack while everyone else got a quick hug. Hakoda whispered to me when it was me turn,

"Thanks again for finding her and take good care of her." Then he left us to pack. I decided to joke with Raine a little to make her feel better.

"Uncle's going to cry like a baby when he sees you tomorrow." Raine nodded and as we took off she closed her eyes to block out the tears. I closed my eyes and took a nap.

_Raine and Azula were at it again, fighting in the courtyard; blue fire and ice, battling I watch as it creates patterns in the sky. Raine was always one step ahead of Azula, counter blocking and making moves before my sister had time to react. The whole time Azula kept getting madder and madder, her movements more rash. Finally the two called it quits , both out of breath. Raine stood tall as she tried to refill her lungs, while Azula hunched over, her hands on her knees. I was the silent spectator watching as Azula never took her eyes off of Raine, and watching as Raine turned her back on Azula. That's when she struck, while Raine was turned away from her. _

_"Raine!" I called. Raine spun on her heels just in time to see a whip of fire lick the side of her face, close to her ear. I ran to her as she cupped her face to stop the bleeding. _

_"Are you okay?" _

_"Yeah, help me over to that pond," She said. I helped to her feet and we shuffled over to the pond. Azula stood there watching and gloating. Once we got to the pond Raine sat and took her hands away from her face so I could assess the damage. It wasn't awful, but it would leave a scar. I ripped off a bit of fabric from my shirt and dipped it into the cold water and held it to her face. _

_"Thanks Zuko," Raine said smiling. I returned the smile and removed the cloth to re-dip it in the water. Then I noticed that the wound had already closed and had stopped bleeding. Raine took my hand and held it in her own. Then she leaned forward and quickly kissed me on the lips. I was in shock. _'Did she just kiss me?' _I thought._

_"Yes I did," Raine replied reading my mind. I smiled stupidly at her. _

_"Zuko I have a confession to make. "_

_"Okay…"_

_"I'm in love with you."_

I woke up and gazed at Raine now sleeping across from me. The sky was growing darker. I let out a sigh.

"I have a confession to make too," I whispered to myself. "I think I still love you too."


	10. Chapter 10

Blood and Tears

Chapter 10: The Fire Nation

It seemed to take us forever to get to the Fire Nation, and I was antsy. I couldn't wait to see Iroh again and see the place I grew up in once more. Zuko, also seemed oddly content to go back home. Once we were in view of the city I stood up and began pacing about on Appa's back. Sokka started teasing me about it.

"Calm down, seriously, you're going to break something," He told me as we were hastily nearing the ground. I didn't listen: instead I leapt down from the giant bison and landed on the ground in a crouching position, ready to take off in a run. Sokka lurched toward the edge but before he could do anything I had taken off in a dead sprint, calling out Iroh's name. The others began calling out my name and it echoed through the large hallway chasing me as I ran but I didn't listen. The only sound I could hear was the drumming of my heart against my rib cage. Then I heard a soft voice say in reply to my calling, "Raine?"

It was Iroh. I skidded to a stop, sliding right past a set of pillars where he had emerged from behind. I stood still in my tracks, not moving as I watched the old man walk slowly toward me, disbelief written upon his face. He looked older than I had remembered, more tired. In his hand he held the letter I had written about a week ago telling him about Ursa's death. Tears began to flood his eyes.

"I thought you had died, I couldn't believe it when I read this letter that there was any possible way you were still alive. Almost no one survived in that sector of the battle field…" Iroh said his voice still small and wavering. I smiled, unable to keep it off my face.

"Do you really think I'd let some stupid war kill me?"

"But you were only a child…you were still a baby when he sent you out there…" Iroh said again. I rushed over to him and gave him a hug as he dissolved into tears of joy.

"Well not anymore," I told him. After most of the tears had been shed, and the others had joined us he asked me if what I spoke of in the letter was true. I nodded sadly, as did Zuko, who stood next to me. Iroh bowed his head in dismay and nodded. Then he lifted his head back up to me and said that we had to move on and that the past was no longer an issue, what was important was the future.

"We'll have a brief meeting in ten minutes after everyone gets settled in," Iroh said. With that we all went to unpack.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

I watched as Raine took her stuff down toward where the servant quarters were and I couldn't help but call out to her.

"You know," I began and she turned to look at me. "You don't have to go back; to the servant quarters I mean. You are a guest here now, and I make a point to treat all of them as such." She just continued to stare at me, not sure what to do. I walked down the hall to where she was still standing and took her pack from her and carried it down the hallway toward the nicer guest and family bedrooms were. As we passed the open doors we could see Sokka and Aang and Katara unpacking their things, admiring the rooms they were given.

"This, as you probably already know, was my old room, but it's yours now," I told her setting her pack down on the bed. She continued to stare at me, unbelieving like Uncle had been when Raine had run into the palace. She went over to her pack and place a small hand on it, then sank down in the mattress.

"Do you want to know the real reason why my mother saved your life?" I asked her. She suddenly snapped out of her shock comma and gazed at me, her face reading mix signals of wonder and what almost seemed to be on the edge of harshness. She didn't say anything to me; she only waited for me to continue.

"It wasn't because she knew you had so much you had to still do, or because you had to see your family again, she said it was because you were the only one who could help me make the right decisions as Fire Lord. Mom said she believed that you came to us for a reason; because you are my guardian angel," I told her. She opened her mouth to say something when a man I recognized as Ari came in and embraced Raine, picking her up off the bed and swinging her around.

"I'm so glad that you're safe!" He said as he set her back down. She laughed and then began to introduce me to him. We shook as hands as Aang ran in, out of breath.

"We have a problem," He huffed. The three of us stood there waiting for an answer when Sokka joined us.

"Azula is gone!"


	11. Chapter 11

Blood and Tears

Chapter 11: Lockdown

The instant the words left Aang's mouth my heart fell. I couldn't believe that she had gotten out; even with all that security they supposedly had around her cell. Ari left after another hug to go make sure that the palace was going into lock down. Sokka continued to fill us in.

"She's out in the city looking, so far she hasn't thought to think of looking here for you two. We aren't quite sure which one of you is a target, so both of you are not under any circumstance allowed to leave the palace without a proper escort. But for now we are issuing a complete lockdown, no one in, no one out," My twin said. I suddenly burst into a run, and the boys tried to pull me back.

"Where are you going?!" Sokka shouted. I didn't answer, instead I continued running toward Iroh's room.

"Raine, please don't do anything stupid!" I heard my brother say. I stopped and turned around to look at him. He had a serious look on his face and I could tell he was a little bit scared.

"Do I ever do anything irrational?"

"No…"

"Then trust me, I'm only going to talk to Iroh," I replied as I began running again. I didn't stop running until I got to his door, out of breath.

"Azula…she's…gone…she…escaped."

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Instead of gaping in shock and taking things out of proportion he merely nodded and had the meeting called into immediate effect. Once we were gathered about in the throne room that use to belong to my father, Ari gave an update on the lockdown status.

"The palace is already in complete lockdown sir," Ari reported. Uncle glanced at Raine and they held a silent conversation. Finally Uncle vocalized, "We should tell them."

"Okay," Raine said nodding her head. She cleared her throat like she was going to begin and then gave Uncle a timid look.

"Go on, they have to know…" He said. She repeated the process but this time she did speak.

"There's a reason why Azula hates me so much, and it is not for the reasons you might think. You see, there's more to my punishment than just having 'fraternized with the family' when I was servant girl here. I learned a terrible secret one day and when I had decided that I was going to tell, Oazi sent me away to the war, in hopes that I wouldn't make it out there by myself," Raine paused. "This sort of secret started out as a plan to get Iroh away from the throne, and continued into an even more elaborate plan once Azula showed a mania for fighting. Oazi killed his father after he refused to change the order of succession, and forged his will, using the timely death of Iroh's son as an excuse why Iroh shouldn't have the throne. Then he began planning to get Zuko out of the way so Azula could take the throne. But there was a kink in their plan. Azula was not a full blood royal; instead she was a bastard child of Oazi and a mere servant who had been working there long before I came. They wanted to get rid of the only person who knew other than I did and that was Ursa." Raine had paused again to allow time for what she was saying to sink in before she began once more.

"I had warned Ursa to leave, because her life was in danger if she stayed here. Once Ursa had left, Oazi confronted me, knowing that his wife did not simply just leave her only child for no reason at all, and I was forced to tell him I had learned of his plan. But I hand the leg up, even though I was a child at the time, I had most of the servants on my side, plus the mother of Azula to confirm. He was powerless until he found some other excuse to rid of me. Now that the war is over and I am still living, Azula is going to do everything possible to kill me and Zuko so she can take the throne," Raine finished. I dropped my glass of water and it broke on the floor. Everyone was staring blankly still working out the situation. While we waited from someone to say something Raine began to use water bending to clean up the mess I had made.

"It makes so much sense now…" I replied. Then we were left with that question of what do we do now that we all know what's going on? I sighed. Everything was just getting more and more complicated. Little did I know that it was about to get worse.


	12. Chapter 12

Blood and Tears

Chapter 12: Screaming Inside

The palace couldn't stay in complete lockdown so they kept a high security restriction and only let certain people leave. I was not one of those people. Rules were made that everyone had to follow, especially Zuko and I, which made my days utterly boring. So I spent my time either in the practice room working out, or hanging out in the kitchens with all of my old friends. Sokka and Ari kept me well informed on what was going on throughout the city and Katara and Aang kept me company.

"Why do you work out so much?" Aang asked me as we were walking from the practice room early one afternoon. I wiped my brow with the back of my hand and grinned with a slight satisfied sigh. Katara was walking next to Aang panting, because I had kicked her butt in a friendly sparring match.

"Well, a habit I learned in the war was always staying in shape, because we had to carry big packs and fight on top of that. So working out is just an everyday routine for me now," I replied as I stopped to do a quick stretch. I sent the two ahead and told them I'd meet them in the dining room after I had changed and finished up stretching in the hall way.

"Why the hallway?" I heard Aang ask.

"Better flat surfaces!" I called back flipping a leg up flat against the wall over my head. As I cooled down and did my stretching I heard voices coming from a nearby room. I stopped what I was doing and walked over to the doorway and stood outside it, listening.

"I'm so glad you're back, it wasn't very much fun here without you," A female voice said. I recognized it as Mai, one of Azula's friends and my temper flared. Why were we letting people like _her_ into the palace? For all we know she could be a spy. Then it dawned on me, all of Azula's friends had turned on her.

"I was gone a little over a week," Zuko's voice replied and my heart dropped. Of course I shouldn't have expected us to just pick right up where we left off, especially since he had pushed me away before I had even left, but I still had hope.

"Well it was a week too long."

"Look Mai, can we talk?" There was a pause and a giggle, I was sure she wasn't capable of laughing or giggling. I frowned as I listened.

"We are talking," She told him being a smart ass about it. I heard Zuko begin to say something when he made a funny noise. I tentatively peered around the corner only to see that they were now lip locked. Before I could even react with anger Ari spoke from behind me, scaring me half to death.

"Raine, Iroh and I need to speak with you, if we could," He said blowing my cover. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Zuko pull away and look at me, his expression reading something like that of remorse. I didn't care though; currently all I wanted to do was rip his face off.

"Yeah, just let me change really fast," I told him walking steely faced back to my room as I held in the pain. I repeating told myself I wasn't going to cry as I silently fumed in my room. I kicked a few things as I pulled the small sports bra type leather shirt off and pulled on a long comfy robe. I left the shorts on underneath it though.

"God, how could I be so stupid to think he still loved me?!" I yelled kicking a couple more things. Ari knocked on my door and I composed myself enough to go out to the throne room with him. He knew something was wrong but he didn't dare ask me. I kept my face staring straight ahead; knowing full well the look on my face was one that was cold and harsh. Iroh was waiting with tea, and it made me feel a little bit better.

"We need to come up with a plan if Azula attacks us."

"Ask Sokka, I can't really focus right now," I told them both. They didn't listen to me, but they also didn't ask what was wrong. Instead, they pushed me for answers; they were as desperate as I was.

"We need _something _Raine!"

"Have Aang rally an army, I know he's plenty capable of that. I can't do it, I can't even leave these walls," I told them. I felt like I was dying inside, or that I was screaming, but I couldn't make a sound, so I was just screaming inside.

"Oh, we could set a trap!" And like that they began to plan without me. I don't think they even noticed when I set my untouched tea down and walked out. I made my way out to my favorite spot, underneath the biggest tree in the courtyard. There I lost myself in thought.

"Why is it that I am constantly reminded of how fragile happiness is?" I asked myself.

_The sun rose blood red the morning I left, the same color as Iroh's eyes last night. I had gotten up early to wander about the place I grew up in and lament about my life here. There was a chance I was never coming back, and that scared me a little. I paused under a giant elm tree, which happened to be Zuko's favorite spot, and the favorite spot of my own. I looked up and gazed at the red through the branches. _

_"You know, they say a red sunrises when a heart breaks," his voice was faint and quiet from behind me. I spun quickly and faced him, tears now running down my face. He would be the only one today to see my tears. _

_"Zuko, I'm scared, I so utterly scared and alone. I'm afraid that I won't feel your embrace, ever see your smile, or hear your voice again. I don't want a world without you, because that world would be a living hell," I cried. He smiled, it playing softly on the corners of his mouth and wrapped me in a loving hug. He lightly kissed the top of my head. _

_"I know you'll be okay, because you aren't weak and you never give up. You were born a fighter, and the Devil himself would personally have to fight you for your soul, and trust me, it'd be one hell of a fight too," he began. "You're always giving me words of wisdom from what you remember of the water tribe, and I think it's time I gave you some advice. Don't do what you think is right do what you _feel_ is right. The outcome will always work out in the end." We stood there, staring at one another until finally I spoke up. _

_"Zuko, promise me something…"_

_"What?"_

_"Promise me that you'll wait for me, that you'll wait for my return. I know I will, forever, until this war is over."_

_"Of course Raine, I promise."_

_"I love you," I said, and when he wouldn't say it back I knew that the promise we just made, had been broken. _

A sound broke my train of thought and when I looked up I saw Zuko walking toward me.

"What happened to our promise? Why were you so quick to replace me? Was I just not good enough for you?!?!? I knew something was up, but I figured that if it were someone else, you would have just told me. Guess I was wrong," I snapped as him jumping to my feet. Zuko was now in my face, looming over me by two inches.

"Because I thought you died Raine, and when I found you again you acted like you changed."

"A promise is a promise, the kind of stuff that's suppose to be unbreakable!" I replied. But his best defense was that I changed. He just kept saying that…

"I changed huh? Death does that to people you know. How many people you've cared about have died in your arms, how many lives have been taken on your accord? How much blood do you have on your hands? Of course I changed, a war changes people, is there anything I can do about that?"

"I'm still better off than you are."

"How is that, by blaming Ursa's death and the death of my mother on me? Or removing me from your life? Oh yeah Zuko you've really changed!" I quipped. He mumbled something along the lines of 'removing you was the best thing I'd ever done' and I slapped him hard across the face. There was a shout and Mai began running out toward us: most likely to the 'rescue'.

"Don't touch him!"

"Back off bitch, this has nothing to do with you!" I hissed turning my back on Zuko. Mai was furious and I found myself shaking with rage.

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Well if you would stay out of my business then I wouldn't have to tell you what to do!" I hissed in reply, my voice getting to the scary low register. For the moment Zuko had pushed aside our fight to break up what could be a fight between Mai and me.

"Mai, stay out of this, please?" he asked her. But I wasn't about to let that fight go so soon. The instant he touched my shoulder I turned on him, lashing out with more harsh words. I should have just hit him again.

"Just tell me why I wasn't good enough for you: was it because I'm a waterbender? Or was it because I was just _too_ good for you?"

"Maybe it was because you took everything too seriously?!"

"Oh, now _**I'M**_ the serious one?!?!" I shook my head scoffing at him and storming off. This wasn't worth my time. I grabbed my cloak from my room and began to head outside to the gates. Katara and Aang tried to stop me and I yelled at them.

"Don't touch me!" I hissed, my hand slapping them away from me. Sokka then tried to help.

"If anyone tries to stop me again, I swear you will die. Just leave me the hell alone!" With that I flipped up the hood of my cloak and strode out the gates. No one tried to stop me.

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As Raine began to leave I let out a heavy sigh. '_Good going Zuko, look what you did.'_ I thought. Mai tried to give me a hug and I pushed her away. She gave me an odd look, acting hurt.

"Are you upset with me?" She asked. I nodded.

"Why?"

"I don't want to talk about this right now.'

"Zuko, you have to tell me what's going on here or I can't help you," Mai said her arms folded across her chest.

"I used you to fill an empty void in my life after Raine left. You were my pain killer, to keep it from continuing to hurt me, but that can only last so long. Pretty soon you get and overdose and get hurt more than you intended. I made a mistake Mai. I did one too many stupid things, and it's time I fix them while I can." Mai stood there staring in pure disbelief. Slowly she shook her head.

"No, no, you can't do this to me again!"

"Too late I just did."


	13. Chapter 13

Blood and Tears

Chapter 13: What's in an Apology?

I wandered in silence, making my way slowly through the city. Constantly I was dredging up possible ideas as to why this was happening to me. Zuko had once been my life and my world, was it really all coming down to this? I didn't want to think of my two possible futures: living alone the rest of my life, or dying by Azula's hands. As I made my way through the city I came to the old secluded run down parts that were very neglected and empty. I found a fountain that still had clear running water and sat on the edge, taking my shoes off and slipping my feet in. While I thought, I tried to bend the water with my toes. It gave me something to do.

"You always were the type that did things while thinking," My twin's voice said from behind me. I turned as gazed at him, my eyes wet, even though I told myself I wasn't going to cry. He came and joined me even getting in the water with me.

"Why did he have to lie to me? Couldn't he have just told me the truth?" I began. "And why does it have to hurt so damn much!?" I rested my head on his shoulder. As a sign of compassion he in turn leaned his head on top of mine and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"Did I ever tell you about the girl I first loved?" I mumbled a soft 'no' and my brother cleared his throat.

"Well, we went to the other water tribe and I met a girl named Yue. She gave her life to save the moon spirit and when she died I felt like my life was over. I couldn't picture my life without her in it and every time I did I would feel like I was going to cry. Then I met Suki, and I found that I really could love again, even more so than I had loved Yue. Now Suki is my life," Sokka explained to me. I let out a shaky sigh as the tear still continued to flow. I wondered to myself '_What happened to the girl who had lead hundreds of armies in the war?'_ Well, she got her heart broken.

"I'm sure Zuko wasn't the only one you ever loved. What about Ari?"

"Ari? No, no no… Ari is like another sibling to me, and half the reason I'm still here today. He saved my life, countless times and I for him. But to answer your question, yes, I guess there have been others but none of them have really compared. They've all been boys I merely bided my time with; none could give me the love I needed to have. It's like you and Suki, only starting right off the bat."

"Isn't he a mama's boy though?" Sokka asked ever so slightly curious about his friend. Shaking my head I sat up straight.

"Sure Ursa was always there for him, and constantly protecting him from his father, the whole time she was also teaching him things he needed to know later on in life. Why do you think he's such a loner? Because he's been hurt too many times, and all he knows is his taught sense of independence," I replied explaining more about the man I was so madly in love with.

"You really really love him don't you?"

"With all of my heart, but I guess I have to accept the fact he doesn't love me the same way anymore and move on," I said shrugging. I gave Sokka a kiss on the cheek as he hugged me and then left to go notify the others that I was alright. I sighed again, trying not to let my thoughts drown me, as I wiped away a few more tears. Then I heard him…

"Hey,"

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I left the palace in a rush after Raine the whole time beating myself up for begin so stupid. Raine had been nothing but caring and full of love, because she understood the pain I was in. We both as children had carried the weight of the world on our shoulders and because of that we had an unbreakable bond of understanding. I was scared, just like she was, and I was too selfish to see that. Maybe shewas right: she really _was_ the best thing that ever happened to me.

I scanned the city looking for her when I noticed that the streets were far too busy Raine's liking. I made my way to a rundown section of the city and found her sitting in old fountain that was just barely working with her older twin brother.

"You really really love him don't you?" Sokka asked her gently. I was almost afraid to hear the answer. _'What if she changed her mind?'_

"With all of my heart, but I guess I have to accept the fact he doesn't love me the same way anymore and move on," Rains said giving her brother a kiss on the cheek as he hugged her. I exhaled in relief. Sokka got up and nodded to me. When he was out of ear shot of his younger sister her took me aside.

"Take care of her okay? No more heartbreaks. She's already got enough pain to deal with."

"I promise, I will care for her and love her as if we both were spending our final days together," I swore to him. He embraced me quickly and then left. I took a deep breath and approached her.

"Hey,"

"What do _you_ want?" She asked me sullenly.

"I need to talk with you: I know an apology will never be good enough for my ignorance, but I'm hoping it will get you to at least trust me," I said sitting opposite her, so I could face her better. Her cheeks were tear stained and her eyes slightly red. She stopped trying to waterbend with her toes and listened, but she wouldn't look me in the face.

"May I tell you a story?"

"Go ahead…" She replied wearily, like it didn't matter to her. I don't honestly blame her.

"A long, long time ago, when the earth was new there was a boy and a girl. They were in love. The boy was a waterbender, the finest ever seen and the girl was a firebender who was fierce as ever. They spent all their time together and as time went on their love grew. When they were almost grown and the world was full of hate, the girl had to go away. Shortly thereafter, the boy too had to leave. While they were apart, promises they had made and cherished were broken and dreams shattered. But every night the boy was consumed with thoughts of the girl that had left to fight the hate. He faked his way through his life, pretending to be okay. But really all he felt, all he was, was pain. Nobody made he feel alive like she did and he was sure no one else would. Finally the hate lost and the girl found the boy again but they were both so very different. The girl was far fiercer than before and the boy was stronger, much stronger. The girl still had the love for him in her eyes and he couldn't see it. He got scared and pushed her away, until he opened his eyes lids and began to really see again. He saw her love and all of his stupid mistakes. That night he vowed to make her see that he hadn't forgotten about her love, because it's what kept him going every day. He told her of his mistakes and the girl, even though she was hurt, took him back. She needed him just as much as he needed her."

"How does it end?" Raine asked me, her eyes wavering in the setting light of the sun. I held her face in my hands briefly and smiled.

"Like this…" And I kissed her softly on the lips. She didn't really do anything, and I hoped I hadn't messed anything up again.

"That probably made it harder for you to trust me huh?"

"I can't stop trusting you Zuko; you are the one person I can't say 'no' too. No matter what. That's always how it's been. I am just too in love with you to stop loving you. My only wish is that you felt the same..." she whispered finally looking me in the eyes. I almost felt like she was leaving me again. I promised myself that night that I wasn't ever going to let her go again.

"No, that's not true. They told me you died, and a piece of me died as well. I had become an empty shell, giving up completely. But a part of me refused to give up, and I still looked for you in the crowds day in and day out, only to be reminded of how you were gone. I needed someone to help me get through the pain, and that's where Mai came in to my life. The whole time she was with me, I felt like I had betrayed you, but she was my pain killer and I needed her to survive so I couldn't just let her go. I began to compare her to you, and when she would dream of me at night, I would dream of you. She'd kiss me, but really I would be kissing you. It was a never ending cycle, I still needed you. But until I had proof you were alive I couldn't admit that I still loved you," I gently explained to her. She stared at me as if she was looking into my soul to try to find if my words were the truth or not. After a little bit she leaned into me, and I gathered her into my arms.

"Don't ever leave again; I couldn't bare it."

I won't I promise, and this time, I'm keeping it," I ensured her. We got up and went back to the palace to go tell the others. I was just glad that she was back in my life that it didn't matter if my apology worked or not.


	14. Chapter 14

Blood and Tears

Chapter 14: Battle Plan

With emotional problems behind us, we had to focus on what our plan of action was. We had something huge in front of us and if we didn't act fast, the recovering world would go back to turmoil. Two days after our fight Zuko and I and the others sat together in the throne room planning.

"My main question is what do we do from here?" Sokka said voicing his opinion. Aang took the floor and spread his ideas out for us.

"It's only been a few days since she escaped and so far nothing has happened. But I know Azula is smarter than we are giving her credit for. She's plotting something, something big and we have to be ready when the time comes," Aang said. I nodded and stood, untangling my finger's from Zuko's.

"Aang is right, and since we are fresh from war we need to keep this as low key as possible and try to keep it contained. This has to be precise, quick and as easy as we can get it. Unfortunately, there is no peaceful way out of this one, we will have to resort to violence, and we cannot have any survivors from Azula's army," I said looking at Zuko. He nodded knowing what that meant: Azula would have to die as well. From where I left off Sokka took over again with an even more in depth plan of action. It hit me then how much training I still had to do. I almost panicked and I could tell Zuko sense that as he squeezed my hand. When the meeting was over he just held me close, assuring me that it was oaky.

"You always did like to be the top of everything," He said to me with a soft smile. I couldn't repress the shudder that passed through my body. There was no second place this time, if I got second, I would die. And Azula was a cheater and I knew full well, you didn't cheat death.

"What if I don't succeed?" I asked getting extremely worried. Zuko shook his head and stroked my hair hooking a few strands behind my ear.

"You'll succeed, I can promise you that."

"How?"

"Because it's simple, I'm training you to defeat my sister," He replied kissing my forehead.

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A week passed, and that week turned into two weeks and then three and soon a whole month had passed with no avail. During that month I made sure that Raine went through vigorous training. Then finally word from the foot soldiers arrived: there was something stirring in the east and heading our way.

"Do you feel like you're ready?" Sokka asked Raine as we sat around talking. Raine laughed a little and replied.

"This by far will be one of the easier battles I have fought in. Wars just seem to make things easy after you get out alive. It's possible Azula has more to offer, but I doubt she'll deliver."

"You haven't fought her since you were 15…"

"I know, that's why I had Zuko help train me for the past month. If anyone knows how Azula fights it's Zuko and having him train me gives me an advantage over her, because I now know her every move," Raine explained with a wide smile on her face. I had to hide my smile from Sokka because really this was a serious matter, but I had forgotten how cocky Raine could get. But she was doing well, fighting back with as much force as she could. And I did my best to mimic Azula to the dot on her fighting, so in a way, we both got some training over the course of the last month. I taught her how to redirect lighting with water, which is highly dangerous because water and lightning don't mix. But done properly it makes the lightning twice as deadly as it is in its original state.

"She'll be fine Sokka, trust me," I assured her twin. Raine suddenly got up and went over to Katara and whispered something in her ear. Then Katara leaned over to Aang and passed along the message and all three bustled out of the room. We all exchanged looks.

"Sokka, do you know what's going on?"

"Nope, but I'm just as curious as you are," He replied. We were left wondering for awhile and then the three returned with a bunch of large bowls. Sokka then jumped up to help them, suddenly knowing what was going on. Ari, Uncle, Mai, Suki, Toph and I were still in the dark about what was going on. Raine told us to sit in a circle and I noticed she had paint in a unique swirling design on her face and arms. Katara had a sun like design on her face and arms and Aang the moon.

"We want to perform an ancient ritual that the water benders do for protection," Raine explained. She and Sokka passed out the bowls of paint and then she sat down in front of me with a bowl in her hand. Suki and Sokka began to draw on each other to match and Mai and Ari did the same.

"Hold still," Raine teased as she dipped her finger into the paint and placed the cold wet substance on my face. From what I could feel, she was mimicking the patterns drawn out on her own body so that I'd match her. It was slowly starting to make sense now. It was all about pairs. Once the painting was complete and everyone was given a bowl full of water we sat in a circle with the three waterbenders in the middle.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," the other two replied. We watched as the three bowed their heads hands linked. They all stood back to back in a smaller circle facing outward, so that we could see them. The largest bowl of water in the middle of their circle at their feet, stayed slightly hidden from us. Suddenly their heads all snapped up at the same time and they raised their linked hands slowly to the ceiling. They let their hands go, and one by one the water began to rise out of the bowls in our laps. It twisted in the air like a dragon, twirling and thrashing about above everyone's head. The arms of the three were working as fluidly as the water as they made it dance above us, and slowly they began to walk around the circle. Raine stopped dancing and was now bending the water in the bowl in the middle, forming it into what looked like a water version of the sun and the moon dancing about each other in her hands. Aang and Katara danced around her as she held up the two dancing fire like orbs in her palm. Suddenly everything stopped. The water froze, along with all three of them and the orbs in Raine's hands. It was eerily quite as we waited. Raine began to move again, pooling all the water into her hands till she had it all, and it began to glow in her palms. Katara and Aang sat down on either side of Sokka and Raine went around the circle asking each person to take a sip from the orb. As she went around she said a blessing to each person.

"You are blessed by the moon, and the sun and they will give your soul protection," She said to each person. Then she added her own thoughts to the blessing. She went around the circle telling people things like she loved them and wished them happiness.

"Mai, take care of him, I can't tell you what he means to me, and if he gets hurt it would be a time of great sadness for you," Raine told Mai. When she got to me she blessed me and then kissed my forehead before finishing the rest of the water she held in her hands. Then Katara and Aang and Sokka started clapping.

"That was a great and uplifting experience Raine, thank you," Uncle told Raine as he got up and hugged her. I was left sitting there wondering why Raine didn't say anything to me.

I didn't say anything as Raine washed the paint off of herself getting ready for bed. She was humming an old lullaby my mom use to sing and smiling to the mirror. I didn't even protest when she started washing the paint off of my face when she had finished with herself.

"Zuko, what's wrong?" She asked letting her arm fall limp by her side when I didn't react.

"How come you didn't tell me anything during the ceremony? You even told Mai something but you didn't say anything beyond the blessing to me," I said taking the cloth from her and washed the rest of the paint off myself. She had gotten up and was changing into her nightgown now. She didn't answer until she was completely changed and sitting by my side again.

"I felt like I didn't have to. You already know you have my heart and the rest of me, and saying it again made it seem redundant and to 'gushy'. When it's an unspoken knowledge of love from one person to the other its far more than word can say. Just knowing that the person you love, loves you right back and doesn't even have to say it because they say it with their actions every day, that means more than a few words during a blessing ceremony," Raine told me as she waited to hear what I had to say. It made me feel a little better. I smiled and kissed her forehead as we crawled into bed. With a sigh I closed my eyes and fell into an uneasy sleep. Tomorrow wasn't going to be one I looked forward too.


	15. Chapter 15

Blood and Tears

Chapter 15: Dooms Day

When I awoke Raine was not there like she normally is. I stumbled from the warmth of the bed and out into the hallway unaware that only my lower half of my body was clothed. Katara saw me and blushed as she told me that Raine was helping make breakfast. As I went back to my room to dress, I could feel this sort of odd tension about the place. We all knew what was going to happen, just not the outcome, and I could tell it had everyone scared. When I joined the others in the dining hall it was quieter than a tomb. No one said a thing, even as Raine humbly served us all breakfast. I didn't really like the feeling I got as she gave me my food. It made me think of the past, and I hated that. As she sat next to me, I could tell she was not herself. She was somber, and passive, but behind her eyes, I could see this fire lit underneath her. Today was the day alright, we could all feel it. We ate in silence and then when we all finished Raine got up and left.

"Where are you going?" I asked, afraid she was going to leave us, or do something stupid and fight Azula alone.

"I'm going to stand guard outside," She replied, looking at me like I was daft in the head. I noticed as she walked out into the dimly lit hallway she was wearing her old Fire Nation tunic, the same one she wore the day she left for the war the first time. Her hair was pulled back with a small red ribbon and braided down her back in a slightly elegant way. Around her forehead she wore a thin silver-wire circlet and at her side was her sword, holstered and ready to go. I followed her out there.

"I'm going with you," I said grabbing her hand and kissing her on the cheek. She nodded and gave my hand a slight squeeze. As we walked outside, the wind began to howl and the smell of rain was in the air. A storm was fast approaching.

I don't know how long we were out there, but soon the others joined us, and we stood in a line, all of us, eyes fixed on the horizon. Little by little the raindrops began to fall, and as the sky let loose its burden of water Raine's face pulled back into a sneer.

"They're here," she hissed. I looked up just in time to see a fireball fly past my head and explode on the wall behind me. The courtyard rapidly was filling with men dressed all in black, in the middle stood Azula.

"So it begins," Aang mumbled. Raine turned to us and smiled suddenly; flashing her teeth with the cockiest grin I'd seen from her in years and fire in her eyes. She grabbed me and kissed me before diving out into the sea of black without so much as a warning. Sokka dove in after her, his sword raised high as he let out a scream like battle cry. Aang and I turned to each other and nodded and followed behind him, moving together as one. Katara had dove in after Sokka, and soon the only person that hadn't joined the fight was Mai and I didn't waste time telling her to get a move on it.

The rain made it harder for me to fire bend, and being the lone fire bender on our side I felt a little out of place. But I kept on fighting, not letting it slow me down. I was trying to keep an eye on Raine, but I was so busy trying to keep my own head it began to look as though I'd have to count on her to be fine. From what I could see though, Azula's moments were far more angst filled and jerky, but Raine's moments were fluid and beautiful almost like a dance. As a bit of flame licked my arm I let out a small cry in shock, and Raine turned to make sure I was okay.

"Raine, don't worry about me! Keep forcing on what you are doing!"

"I'll look after him sis!" Katara shouted giving me a wink and joining my side. As we fought the throng of black, I kept my eyes peeled for the flash of lightning. I knew Raine would do fine, but I was still worried about her.

"You tried to ruin me, so now I'm going to ruin you!" Azula cackled above the noise. I could just make out Raine laughing above the shouting.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance all those years ago…" AS Raine taunted I heard the electricity crack and soon lightning filled the air. Raine managed to redirect it and aimed it at the henchman by me, killing him.

"There's goes your chance to kill me!" Azula giggled. Things suddenly began to move in slow motion as I watched Azula began to conjure up more lightning. I know how hard it is to redirect lightning and it really took it out of Raine, and she wasn't going to recover in time to block this attack, so I did the first thing I could think of. I shot a bolt of lightning of my own at Azula. In seconds our bolts crossed and the huge wave of energy was coming straight toward me.

"NO!" I heard Raine scream as the pain ripped through my body. I was thrown to the ground, and as my vision blurred I saw Raine break away from Azula and ran toward me. Katara was already at my side as Raine was coming closer to me.

"Raine, please keep fighting!" Sokka yelled. I tried to cry out but my world was slowly collapsing into darkness.

"Please…for me…" I panted as I passed out.

"You bitch! I _swear_ to you if he dies, I will make you beg me to put you out of your misery," I screamed as I drew myself up tall. Then I hit her with a giant wall of ice, freezing her for a few moments. I gave her a few small cuts on her arms and hands before she broke out and lunged at me. She giggled creepily and sent a bolt of lightning at me. I didn't have time to block it and it sizzled through my body, as I let out of scream of agony.

"I really hate that!" I hissed raising my arms. Suddenly Azula's eyes grew wide and her arms dropped to her sides.

"Why…, why can't I…move? What did you do to me!" She yelled in panic as I began bending the blood inside her veins, making her body obey only me. I walked her closer to me and then with a huge lunge I plunged my sword through her chest. She let out a gasp of pain, as a small creepy leer lingered on her lips. She pulled my closer and grabbed my shoulder, sending a bolt of lightning directly into my body. But I was ready this time, and with all my might I sent it back to her with triple the force she sent to me. She didn't have time to react and then flew a few feet away. Everyone ran to me, but I pushed them away and stabbed her repeatedly, till Sokka pulled me off of her.

"Raine, she's dead…it's over now, they're all dead…" He said quietly. I glanced over at Katara who was still cradling Zuko's lifeless form. I walked over, slowly, almost in a daze and dropped down next to him, as Katara got up. I pushed his hair out of his face and smiled a little as the tears began to fall. He looked as though he was sleeping.

"You promised me that you wouldn't go away, that you'd never leave me again. You promised…" I sobbed. Sokka knelt done next to me and pulled me into his chest as I cried.

_ Zuko was gazing at me as the morning sun flooded into our room. I blinked a few times and stretched my arms and rolled over to face him. He smiled gently, and brushed a strand of hair out of my eyes. _

_ "Are we training early today?" I mumbled sleepily. He laughed a little and shook his head, making my heart flutter. There was this sparkle in his eyes and he just kept smiling at me. I couldn't quite read his expression though._

_ "What?"_

_ "Nothing."_

_ "That's a load of crap, you are such a lair. What is it?" _

_ "Well…if we get out of this alive…"_

_ "_If, _there is no if in this, we will get out of this." _

_ "Alright, well when we get out of this alive, I want you to marry me."_

"You know….that offer still stands…if you're willing to of course," that soft voice said. I opened my eyes and saw Zuko sitting up next to me. I threw myself on him almost knocking him over. He grunted and winced in pain.

"Hey, gentle on me please…"

"Sorry I thought you died," I replied simply. He let out a little laugh and winced again. Then he smiled at me and took my hand.

"So what do you say? Marry me?"

"Well….."

"You have to think about it?"

"It's a big step!"

"Come on sis, just tell him yes already!" Sokka called.

"You love me right?"

"Yes of course!"

"Then it's settled, we're getting married," He said, I nodded and hugged him again. Everyone clapped for us and we got up off the wet floor and went inside to celebrate. I could hardly speak I was so happy. This was a great finish to a gory day.


	16. Chapter 16

Blood and Tears

Chapter 16: Begin the Fire Lord's Wife

A wedding can be a small and intimate thing, but not when you're marrying the Fire Lord. Zuko promised me that we would have a private wedding, but he still had to introduce me to the people. And we did have a great private wedding, but it was the whole 'introduction ceremony' that I wasn't too keen on. The whole world was going to know me now as the Fire Lord's wife, not Raine the warrior.

I sat as still as I possibly could as Katara pinned the Fire Nation circlet into my hair, but my hands were shaking rapidly. Katara tried not to say anything to make me more nervous but I could tell she was itching to comfort me in some way.

"Everything will be just fine," She finally said, resting a hand on my shoulder. She turned me to face the mirror as Iroh walked into the room. I jumped up and hugged him quickly.

"There, there my dear, calm down. I have a gift to give you. It was Ursa's wedding present when she married Zuko's father, and as tradition says now it is yours," He told me as he placed the necklace around my neck. It was a simple tear drop pearl, but the color was a bright flame color.

"May your love always be as bright as the color of this pendant," He whispered as he kissed me on the cheek. I whispered back a thank you as he left and Sokka came in to collect me.

"Sis, you'll be fine! The people will love you because you're a Water Tribe Hero, if anybody should be nervous it should be your husband," Sokka says embracing me. I know I'm overreacting but I can't help feeling like maybe somehow Azula came back, even though I killed her, and she was waiting for me out in that crowd to get revenge again. _No. That's stupid. Keep it together Raine, you can do this._

"It's show time," Sokka said. Then he kissed me on the cheek. "You can do this okay?" As he whispered that I walked out into the hallway where Zuko was waiting for me and my heart skipped about four beats. He quickly embraced me and gives me a kiss.

"You ready for our new lived to begin?"

"Not our new lives, just a new chapter of our lives. A new and fabulous chapter that will lead to many more great chapters," I replied with a wink. He nodded.

"Well then let's go do this."

Waiting: I hate it so much. I'm so nervous and shaking all over and I'm the one that's normally calm and cool. But if anybody should be nervous it would be me. She's a war hero, so they must love her already. But me…I'm the one with the shady past.

"Relax, everything is gonna be fine," Sokka tells me as he pauses before he leaves to go get Raine.

"What if they don't like her, or hate me for making this decision?"

"They'll love her, I promise you that," He replied giving her a pat on the shoulder. I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror that is in the hallway, and I no longer see the boy I use to see. I see a man, the Fire Lord, who's happily married. Raine was the reason that man was standing there today. I nod to myself and we all fall into position. As Raine came out of her room she paused when she saw me. I quickly pulled her to me and gave her a quick kiss.

"You ready for our new lived to begin?"

"Not our new lives, just a new chapter of our lives. A new and fabulous chapter that will lead to many more great chapters," She told me giving me a wink.

"Well then let's go do this," I replied as we linked arms and walked out into the courtyard. The silent courtyard burst into cheers and I couldn't help but smile.

"I now present Fire Lord Zuko and his wife Raine of the Northern Water Tribe," Uncle said. The crowd was silent as I raised my hand to get their attention.

"Thank you for coming out here to show us your support. It means the world to us. Now I know I broke tradition, but that's something that will be happening a lot around here, so I hope that it will be something everyone can get use to. I want the Fire Nation to be as peaceful as it once was more than 100 years ago. Things are gonna be very different around here, but trust me when I say that you will love it. Just like I know you'll love my wife as much as I do." I addressed the people. They clapped and hollered and as we stood there smiling Raine leaned over and whispered in my ear.

"I have something I need to tell you." I raised my eyebrows at her with a slight smirk.

"Oh really? Should I be worried?"

"Oh no, I promise its good news," She assured me as we left the courtyard and back inside. She just smiled, still linked hand in hand with me not saying a word the whole way back to our room.

"So are you gonna tell me?" I asked her as we began to undress out of our fancy robe and into something better fit for the nice summer day. She grinned and drew it out, driving me to the brink of crazy.

"Well... I am…I'm pregnant," she finally told me pulling on her robe and then giving me a quick kiss. I was shocked and couldn't control that fact that my mouth had fallen open.

"Really? We're gonna have a baby?" I asked her. She nodded and I let out a shout of joy and picked her up and spun her around. This was by far the best way to start off a new chapter of our life.


	17. Chapter 17

Blood and Tears

Chapter 17: Epilogue; Eight Years Later

The early morning sun flooded the court yard as he walked briskly. I watched him with a smile on my face, glad to see him visiting again. He had such a determined look on his face, like he has incredibly important things to do. As he neared us Raine spotted him and jumped to her feet.

"Aang, so glad to see you!" She said running to him and giving him a big hug. Her brother in law laughed and hugged her back as I got to my feet to great my good friend. My kids greeted their uncle happily jumping on him and pinning him to the ground.

"When is Katara coming?" Raine asked pulling her youngest son off of Aang and pulling him into her lap. Haru fought her a bit to go sit by his uncle and finally she gave up and let him loose.

"She, Sokka, Suki and the baby will all be up here tomorrow," Aang said smiling as my own uncle walked into the court yard to join us his iced tea in hand. It was a gorgeous summer day, and I was excited to be able to share with friends and family.

"How is Ba Sing Se?"

"Good, even better than it was 100 years ago. They've made a lot of progress as a city and a community," Aang said. He assured my wife that everyone that was done there like Ari and his children were all safe and sound and doing very well.

"Hey hey! Boys! Be careful we don't want any more accidents now do we? Hakoda…. Don't make me come over there and spilt you and your brother up!" Raine suddenly shouted as our boys began to roughly wrestle in the grass nearby. "Sorry, those boys can get carried away sometimes. I'm not sure if I like it when they are fighting or getting along."

"Well I have news for your oldest, Hakoda," Aang said I was only half listening. I was too busy watching my two boys play together, it was a beautiful thing. Haru was a fire bender like me and Hakoda was a water bender just like Raine.

"As the Avatar I am required to choose my predecessor by testing all water bending children for signs that they could be the next avatar.

"You mean like with the toy thing and the elemental thing right?" I asked. Maybe not my most intelligent question ever, but I didn't know how else to word it other than that. Aang nodded.

"Yes, and your son passed all of them. Normally the decision is made by the monks in the air temples and they consult with the current avatar, but since they all died out long ago I had to request a meeting with the spirits of the old avatars. After much deliberation we all came to a conclusion that your son will indeed be the next avatar," Aang told us. Raine could hardly hold in her excitement. Her voice cracked a bit when she called our oldest son over to come sit with us.

"You talk with Aang and Hakoda about this, I'm gonna take Haru on a walk with Iroh to keep him busy in case he gets the greened eye jealousy monster again," Raine whispered to me with a quick wink and a kiss. She went over and grabbed the five year old's hand as his eight year old brother came and sat on my lap.

"Uncle Aang and I have some big news we want to discuss with you really quick, alright buddy?" I said to him as he sat down. It made since that my oldest son was the water bender because he looked the most like my wife. He had her eyes and her smile and he also had her hardness. He never backed down from anything no matter what. He was also wickedly smart just like his mom.

"Well, I assume that you aren't having another baby since mom isn't here to also explain it to me. I can only assume wither Uncle Aang is going to buy me a puppy or I have more cousins on the way," He said with a straight face. I let out a loud laugh as the boy just stared at me.

"No son, that's not it at all. But it was a very good guess…"

"Quit trying to go easy on me dad! You're the best Fire Lord ever, you can tell me what this news is," Hakoda said. I nodded.

"Hakoda, you are going to be the next Avatar," Aang said with a wide grin. I've never seen such joy on a child's face before in my life.

"I'm…going to be the nest Avatar…"


End file.
